What's Your Cause?

I’ve been training a long time. In fact, it has now been almost 9 years and 12,000 sessions ago that I showed up for my first day as a trainer at 24 Hour Fitness. In that time, I’ve cycled through many “catch” phrases. Any client that has ever trained with me has heard me say “see, easy as that,” or “child’s play” or “that’s cake.” There are many more, some extremely cliched that have lasted only a couple of weeks, and a few gems that have survived the years.

One of my favorites is “It’s all for the cause.” I usually save this particular one for a retort when a client moans, complains, or asks themselves mid-set why exactly they have decided to be voluntarily tortured. A few weeks a ago I reminded a client of this, stating that the extra three reps I asked of her was “all for the cause.” She immediatley asked me what the “cause” was. I answered her by saying that I could not define that for her, it’s something that drives and motivates her, something special to only her, that helps her continue her fitness journey even when it gets really hard.

Defining a cause, or several causes, is an important aspect of goal setting when it comes to achieving a fitness goal. What really got you serious about changing your life through fitness? What was the underlying motivation? It could be simply fitting into a pair of jeans (which is a noble cause in itself) or staying healthy enough to keep up with grandchildren. Whatever the cause, it important to identify and then remind yourself of it when it gets tough, when motivation may be a bit lower or when discouraged over slower than hoped for results. Achieving a fitness goal is rarely an easy or a quick path, but it is “all for the cause,” and the cause is worth it!